Nigeria has been ranked as the sixth most terrorism-affected country in the world, according to the 2025 Global Terrorism Assessment, which assigned the country a metric score of 7.658. This marks a concerning rise from its previous eighth-place ranking in both 2023 and 2024, indicating a deteriorating security situation.
The latest report, published on March 5, 2025, placed Burkina Faso at the top of the rankings with a score of 8.581, followed by Pakistan (8.374), Syria (8.006), Mali (7.907), and Niger (7.776), which occupied the second to fifth positions, respectively. Nigeria’s position at sixth was followed by Somalia (7.614), Israel (7.463), Afghanistan (7.262), Cameroon (6.944), Myanmar (6.929), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.768), Iraq (6.582), India (6.410), Colombia (6.381), and Russia (6.267), rounding out the top sixteen most affected nations.
According to the assessment, Nigeria recorded 565 terrorism-related fatalities in 2024, highlighting an alarming increase in casualties over the past two years. The report emphasized that while global terrorism-related deaths have declined significantly—dropping by almost a third since their peak in 2015—Nigeria and Iraq have seen some of the most notable reductions in terrorism-linked fatalities. However, despite this long-term decline, Nigeria’s numbers have recently surged. Fatalities, which reached 2,101 in 2014, had dropped to 392 in 2022—the lowest figure since 2011. Yet, the trend reversed in subsequent years, with deaths rising by 34 percent to 533 in 2023 and increasing further to 565 in 2024.
The assessment also underscored the expanding reach of IS-Sahel, an extremist group that has primarily operated in the Liptako-Gourma region—the tri-border area of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The group has now extended its attacks into Algeria, Benin, and Nigeria. In 2024, IS-Sahel carried out 16 attacks in Nigeria, 12 in Niger, six in Mali, and one in Burkina Faso, reflecting the escalating regional security crisis.
Additionally, the report highlighted a disturbing global trend, noting that the number of countries experiencing at least one terrorist incident surged from 58 to 66—the highest figure recorded since 2018. Security conditions deteriorated in more nations than they improved, with 45 countries witnessing an intensified impact of terrorism, while only 34 showed signs of improvement. This marks the first time in seven years that the number of countries experiencing worsening security has exceeded those making progress.
The Sahel region, which includes Nigeria and several of its neighbors, has now become the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51 percent of all terrorism-related fatalities in 2024. This represents a nearly tenfold increase since 2019. Overall, the number of conflict-related deaths in the region surpassed 25,000 for the first time since the assessment began, with 3,885 deaths directly linked to acts of terrorism.
As Nigeria contends with its rising position in the global terrorism rankings, the report serves as a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving security challenges facing the country and the broader West African region.
